Didn't see that coming! I mean yes obviously in this case it is justified but I really thought they would give him the last year of his contract to right the ship. Barring that, I thought it would take Luongo being traded to another team for the Leafs brass to say enough is enough. Very interesting timing. Guess he's been a dead man walking this entire lockout!

If the twitterverse can be believed (yes, rarely can it, I know) that Burke did not want to give up a major prospect like Gardiner for RL may have been the final straw...I still hate the idea of Luongo in a Leafs uni, but if it can help to stock the shelves with a serious prospect or two, so be it.

I've got my people on it. Let you know if I get anything. What I was told is that things for Burkie started going downhill with the ownership change. He's a man who wants absolute control and new ownership sees things a little different. But I'm working on the story!

Hockey Widow wrote:I've got my people on it. Let you know if I get anything. What I was told is that things for Burkie started going downhill with the ownership change. He's a man who wants absolute control and new ownership sees things a little different. But I'm working on the story!

That makes sense, plus, he's just not done a good job (stating obvious). But if they are unhappy with Burke's performance, I wonder if Nonis is really on deck - why would owners think Nonis would be any better? He wasn't in Vancouver...looking forward to whatever info you get.

Topper wrote:How do you slam Burke for doing the Kessel deal, while wanting him to do the exact same to acquire Bobby Lou.

I'm talking about you folks, the new owners of MLS, I can understand if they want a change in direction.

I wonder if there was a feud developing between Burke and Tannenbaum that started during the NHL/NHLPA negotiations turned into a power struggle??????????????

First...holy crap. Not that he was fired but the timing. I suspected he might have been in trouble coming out of last season and I guess he was. Perhaps they decided he didn't do what was necessary in the off season and this was sort of the first time a firing made sense.

Second how do you slam Burke for Kessel while wanting him to do the same with Luongo....wasn't directed at me but IMO Burke made a huge miscalculation on where his new team was when he made the Kessel deal. He thought they were already a playoff team and Kessel would make them into a team that could win a round or two. He likely also wanted to make a huge deal as you know he likes to stroke his own ego. But it was the wrong move. So how can you criticize him now for not doing the same in a move for Luongo....well quite frankly because with the Kessel trade Burke went down the path of playoffs now and he has remained in that mode since. He promised it not just to fans but you better believe it was promised to his bosses as well. By not addressing the goaltending he goes against his own plan and gets himself stuck in never never land. That isn't to say that it is fundamentally the correct decision it's just that the decision doesn't jive with what he said he was going to achieve. Not saying that this was the reason of course as it may also be that he was about to anti up and they didn't want him to.

But wow did the Luongo situation ever just get interesting. We don't know for sure if he was let go because he wouldn't anti up OR if it was because he was about to.

Oh and clearly I'm back....

Last edited by tantalum on Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:32 am, edited 2 times in total.